Safety and Mobility Analysis of Rolling Slowdown for Work Zones: Comparison with Full Closure

Details

• Creators:
  Nafakh, Abdullah Jalal ; Davila, Franklin Vargas ; Zhang, Yunchang ; Fricker, Jon D. ; Abraham, Dulcy M.
• Corporate Creators:
  Purdue University. Joint Transportation Research Program
• Corporate Contributors:
  Indiana Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Days
  • Night
  • Guidelines
  • Productivity
  • Street closure
  • Work zone safety
  • Traffic simulation
  • rolling slowdown
  • pacing operation
  • probe data
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/IN/JTRP-2022/17
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317380
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Purdue University. Joint Transportation Research Program
• Abstract:
  There are times when the traffic lanes through a work zone must be kept clear for activities such as placing overhead beams, erecting overhead signs, and installing power lines, and other temporary roadway work activities. As an alternative to a full road closure, a rolling slowdown can typically provide up to 30 minutes to complete such activities without bringing approaching traffic to a complete halt. Using data from recent rolling slowdowns and full closures carried on the Indiana interstate network and a simulation approach, this study compares rolling slowdowns to full closures from safety and mobility standpoints. The study suggests that while rolling slowdowns are more impactful in terms of travel times, they are a safer option than full closures as they often form a forward moving shockwave causing, lower hard braking rates, and consequently a lower probability of causing a crash.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SPR-4542 volume 2
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/64155/dot_64155_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 8.40 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:779ad70c0f2ebea67e164a7a251b6b5fa4a3de9d41f65c75b6645d0158bd4a8a